South Korea Firms Rush To Find Missing Nepal Workers

Nine South Korean workers from two construction firms have gone missing after a devastating flood hit a hydropower plant under construction in Nepal. Doosan Enerbility and Korea Southern Power dispatched emergency response teams through Incheon International Airport on August 27 to address the disaster. The six missing workers belong to Doosan Enerbility, and three to Korea Southern Power.

They have been unreachable since the flood struck the previous day. Immediately following the incident, Doosan Enerbility established a 40-member emergency response headquarters, led by Lee Dong-su, vice president and head of the EHS Division. Jeong Yeon-in, the company's vice chairman and CEO, pledged to do their utmost to rescue the trapped employees, vowing to personally lead the response upon arrival at the site.

Korea Southern Power's Yoon Jang-hyeon, who joined Lee in leaving for the affected area, emphasized the company's commitment to mobilizing all resources to ensure the safe return of its personnel. They encouraged family members residing in Korea to visit the site, offering transportation and lodging as needed. The flood has caused extensive damage, destroying over 90% of the plant's upper water barrier facility and base camp, though the underground power plant itself remains intact.

The two firms are cooperating with local authorities to search for the missing workers and mitigate further damage, monitoring the situation in real-time from their emergency response base.